Greenery and flowers brighten up any fence, whether chain link, wood, vinyl, or aluminum. Chain link fences especially benefit from a little foliage, though, as it softens their industrial appearance while adding privacy. The links also act as an excellent foothold for climbing vines.
There are several things you’ll need to decide about your greenery. Do you want a vine that has flowers? Fragrance? Do you want a vine that changes with the seasons or stays green all year long? Evergreen vines hold their color, while deciduous vines will shed their leaves annually.
Perennial vines such as wisteria, climbing hydrangea, ivy, and trumpet vines are vigorous growing plants that can get quite large and heavy at maturity. If your fence is older, consider reinforcing weak spots or investing in a new one before planting a perennial vine. Perennials bloom once or twice a year and will come back after the cold of winter has past.
Annual vines (and some perennials called tender perennials) will grow, mature, and perish within one season, so you’ll need to replace them every year. Many annuals produce beautiful flowers or eatables, though. Consider morning glory, moonflower, passion flower, pole beans, cucumber, tomatoes, lima beans, and sweet pea.
If you’re not sure whether you want to invest the time in vines and flowers, consider a vinyl coating for your chain link fence. Vinyl coatings come in a variety of colors to complement your home, including white, tan, brown, green, and black.
